Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the educators of central Arkansas who have been named finalists for Arkansas Teacher of the Year for 2023.

This year, Amber Leaton of Bryant High School and Capri Salaam of North Little Rock Middle School were recognized for extraordinary commitment to their students and enhancing the quality of education across central Arkansas.

These educators have demonstrated their dedication to the success and well-being of their students by teaching with innovation while promoting character education and civic engagement in the classroom.

Our educators are vital to the preparation of our future generation. I thank these teachers for their exemplary example and profound impact in the lives of hundreds of students.

Later this fall, after classroom visits, the selection committee will name the next Teacher of the Year. I wish Amber and Capri well and look forward to the long-lasting impressions that they make on their students.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Hice, and the chairwoman for this time.

Mr. Speaker, I do indeed rise today in support of H.R. 6080, the bill to designate the U.S. Post Office at 5420 Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the Ronald A. Robinson Post Office.

Ron, as he was known, was truly larger than life. Ron was born on April 3, 1943, and he passed away August 14, 2018, at 75 years old. Ron lived an extraordinary life that included serving with distinction as an Air Force captain, communications professional, and an avid stamp collector.

Ron attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned his degree in journalism. While studying journalism, he was a sportswriter covering the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Arkansas Gazette. He was also editor of the University of Arkansas newspaper, The Arkansas Traveler.

In 1966, Ron attended the Boston University Graduate School of Public Communications to study public relations.

Ron joined the Air Force, and he served as an officer for nearly 5 years. During his time in the Air Force, he rose to the rank of captain. His assignments included being the head of internal information for the nationwide Air Force ROTC program. He was also chief of combat news and the director of information for the Defense Intelligence Agency's Aeronautical Chart and Information Center.

Ron earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam. He also earned the Air Force Commendation Medal for his support of 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. After his career as a sportswriter and Air Force captain, Ron became a PR expert at Cranford, Johnson.

Out of his public relations career, Ron was an avid collector of Arkansas political and historical memorabilia, U.S. postage stamps, and vintage movie posters. His house was literally a museum.

Ron began collecting stamps as a boy. He loved history and pop culture. Stamps were able to connect both of these interests for Ron Robinson.

In 1993, Ron was appointed to the U.S. Postal Service's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee by the U.S. Postmaster General. The U.S. Postal Service's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee recommends new postage stamps to the Postmaster General.

Serving on that committee was the role of a lifetime for Ron Robinson. It was an incredible honor for him, and he treasured every moment of his 15 years. He served as chair of the committee from 2005 to 2008, when, as noted, over that period of time he was involved in the creation and development of 1,750 postage stamps.

Some of Ron's favorites are here with us: 1996 Fulbright Scholarship stamp; the 2001 Hattie Caraway, the first woman elected to the United States Senate; and the 2005 Little Rock Central High School civil rights stamp.

Ron was able to use his influence to ensure that Arkansas was the subject of many newly issued postage stamps.

Ron's work and love for stamps made him an influential figure in the city of Little Rock and our State of Arkansas. He was a father, mentor, and good friend to many, including me.

Ron was well-known for being a prolific writer, and he would write hundreds of handwritten thank you notes and cards to his friends for encouragement throughout his life. He enjoyed writing those notes and placing the postage stamp on the envelope himself.

Ron's love for postage stamps and his work on the Postal Service's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee makes him the ideal citizen--as my friend, Mr. Hice, noted--to lend his name to his neighborhood post office after recognition of his lifetime of service to Arkansas and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank my friends on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my two friends from New Jersey for managing the floor, and I thank my good friend, the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle) for working with me on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of H.R. 6265, the CAPTAGON Act. I really appreciate Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul shepherding this legislation through the committee and now to the House floor. As I said, Congressman Boyle and I worked collectively on this over the past year, and I appreciate his leadership on our Friends of Syria Caucus.

The decade of destruction and deteriorating human rights situation in Syria is well known. But just look at the poster next to me for a snippet of the headlines coming out of the region as it relates to this poison, this drug, Captagon.

In addition to regularly committing war crimes against his own people, the Assad regime in Syria has now become a narco state. Narcotic production and trafficking in Syria and its neighbors have become more expansive and more widespread.

The current epicenter of the drug trade is in territory controlled by the Assad regime. This has been well known now for at least 2 years. Yet despite that, just last week the State Department and White House failed to include Syria in their required determinations of major drug transit and major illicit drug producing countries.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter dated July 15, 2022, from Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, Representative Brendan Boyle, and myself to Secretary Blinken urging that Syria be added to this determination.

Washington, DC, July 15, 2022.

Hon. Antony Blinken,

Secretary of State,

Department of State.

Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to respectfully request

that your administration review and determine whether Syria

meets the criteria of a ``major illicit drug producing

country'' or ``major drug-transit country'' as defined in

sections 481(e)(2) and 481(e)(5) of the Foreign Assistance

Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. Sec. 2291(e)(2) and Sec. 2291(e)(5)).

Elements of the Assad regime and regime-affiliated networks

have reportedly engaged in state-sponsored amphetamine

production and trafficking. We have seen a troubling increase

in Captagon exports from Assad regime-affiliated networks

relying on a robust pharmaceutical sector and smuggling

routes between Syria and neighboring countries. This uptick

has also coincided with increased Assad-affiliated Captagon

seizures globally.

Not only is this trade a potential source of revenue for

elements of the Assad regime and its affiliates, but the

industrial-scale amphetamine production represents a security

threat to the region itself, particularly as Captagon

production can become methamphetamine with a few changes to

the production process. In response, the House of

Representatives designed an amendment to the National Defense

Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 to encourage

your administration to develop a multi-agency strategy to

disrupt and dismantle these networks. The Joint Explanatory

Statement for the FY2022 NDAA noted that ``the Captagon trade

is a cause of instability in the Middle East that has

negative implications for the national security of the United

States and its allies and partners. We support development of

a strategy to guide appropriate action against narcotics

production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to

the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.''

As you know, section 706 of the Foreign Relations

Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-228) requires

that the President submit an annual report no later than

September 15 of each year that identifies each country

determined by the President to be a major drug transit

country or major illicit drug-producing country. In its most

recent report, the White House did not list Syria among the

22 countries identified as major drug transit or major

illicit drug producing countries. If a country is designated

as having ``failed demonstrably'' in its counternarcotics

commitments, the United States must cease providing certain

categories of foreign assistance (as defined in section

481(e)(4) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; 22 U.S.C.

Sec. 2291(e)(4)) to such country unless the President

determines that the provision of such assistance is vital to

U.S. national interests or that the country, at any time

after the President's initial report to Congress, has made

``substantial efforts'' to comply with the counternarcotics

conditions in the legislation. This prohibition does not

affect narcotics-related assistance and humanitarian

assistance (i.e., disaster relief assistance, assistance

involving the provision of food or medicine, and assistance

for refugees).

We, therefore, request that you determine whether the

Government of Syria meets the criteria for designation as a

major drug transit country or major illicit drug-producing

country.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We

look forward to receiving your expeditious response.

Sincerely,

Roger Marshall,

United States Senator.

Brendan Boyle,

Member of Congress.

French Hill,

Member of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, this recent omission tracks with the administration's diplomacy disconnect from our American values. First, earlier this year, State erred and did not include Nigeria, leaving them off as a country of particular concern for religious freedom. And now it is Syria left off as a major drug-producing country.

Mr. Speaker, this is why this bill is so critical and important at this time.

We need an all-of-Government approach to addressing the Assad regime's drug production and trafficking.

Captagon has already reached Europe, and it is only a matter of time before it reaches our shores. If we do not work with our like-minded partners to first hinder the narcotics trade and replace it with a working system of institutions that serve the Syrian people, then Assad will, in fact, add the title drug kingpin to his recognized global status as a leading mass murderer.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition of what I call the Inflation ``Production'' Act.

There are obvious problems of increasing taxes in a recession, expanding Obamacare, innovation killing price controls on drugs, and its attacks on American energy.

Hard working families, farmers, and small business owners in central Arkansas are going to bear the brunt of citizens being audited at the highest rates due to more than doubling the size of the IRS and it's increase in funding.

What do we think the IRS is going to do with this increase in staff and $45 billion in new enforcement funding?

No agency needs six times its current funding to answer phone calls and improve customer service.

I have seen claims that as long as you don't cheat on your taxes then you have nothing to worry about.

Clearly, they have never faced the harassment and excruciating process of an IRS audit.

We must defeat this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Searcy's Battalion chief, Keith Carlisle, on his retirement from the fire service.

For 34 years, Chief Carlisle has worked to protect our community. Born and raised in Cabot, he went on to the fire academy and later returned on down the road to Searcy.

His greatest moments in service included comforting victims of car accidents or fires.

Every member of the fire service deserves admiration for their exemplary work for their communities. Public servants, like the chief, play a vital role in the infrastructure that keeps out citizens safe and healthy. I commend Keith Carlisle for his leadership and give best wishes as he transitions into retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Dr. Jim Citty, a longtime physician in Searcy.

Dr. Citty first moved to Searcy in 1957 to play basketball and football for Harding University, where he would later serve as team physician for Bison Athletics.

Upon graduating from herding, Jim attended medical school at the University of Tennessee and later enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Dr. Citty returned to Searcy to settle down in 1975. Throughout his career, Dr. Citty delivered over 10,000 babies in the White County area.

Known and loved by Searcy residents, many of whom he helped deliver, his loss is felt deeply. ``Doc's'' impact within the community will not be forgotten.

My prayers go out to Dr. Citty's family, friends, and all who knew and loved him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gavin Alveti, a 2022 graduate from Harding Academy and distinguished member of the Wildcat baseball team, who was recently named the Arkansas Democrat Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Baseball Player of the Year.

Gavin suffered a broken orbital bone during a game in April after being hit by a fastball. Despite these injuries, Gavin returned to the mound within a week and was able to finish out his senior season.

The Harding Academy baseball team went on to win the AAA Arkansas State Championship, under the leadership of Coach Shane Fullerton.

Despite obstacles throughout the season, I am pleased to recognize Gavin, Coach Fullerton, and the Harding Academy baseball team on a strong, hard-fought season.

I congratulate them on their achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate seventh grader Kason ``Rooster'' Lipsmeyer, of Vilonia, who has earned a position on the Arkansas National Junior High Rodeo team.

Rooster and his teammates will be competing in the 17th annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo in the light rifle competition in Perry, Georgia.

While it is only Rooster's first year competing, he won both the state championship and was the average champion in light rifle for the Arkansas Junior High School Rodeo Association.

The art of competitive shooting is a long-standing tradition. Gun safety and accuracy are vital skills for gun-owners and all who will be around firearms. I commend Rooster for his determination, precision, and good sportsmanship and look forward to rooting him on as he competes against over a thousand others in the national competition.

Congratulations and good luck to Rooster and the entire Arkansas National Junior High Rodeo team. We look forward to cheering them all on.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Mildred Davidson of Sweet Home, Arkansas, in honor of her 100th birthday.

Ms. Mildred Davidson grew up as one of 11 children and went on to work when she was just nine years old, helping her mother with her work as a maid, laundress and raising her other siblings. Those who know her, and her life story will tell you, Ms. Davidson's dedication to serving others is clear.

She worked for 25 years at the Arkansas Confederate Home providing care to poverty-stricken veterans, their widows and their orphans.

She was later hired into her dream job as an employee at the Holiday Inn at Sixth and Broadway, where her work spanned nearly two decades and included assignments on the hotel's seventh floor, which was reserved for special guests. Ms. Davidson was known for being an exemplar worker, making certain to treat every guest with respect.

Today, she dedicated her time to being with her grandchildren and has plans to grow a vegetable garden this summer, just as she has done throughout her life.

I give my best wishes to Ms. Davidson and her family in celebration of her 100th birthday, and I commend her for her decades spent caring for others.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding work of the artists who make up the North Central Arkansas Artist League.

The league recently debuted a new art exhibit, currently on display at the Ozark Health Medical Center in Clinton through August 17th.

The exhibit is made up of 43 original pieces of art, created by local artists inspired by ``Summer Fun''. Subjects include landscapes, florals, wildlife, and portraits.

All artwork is made from oils, acrylics, watercolors, and charcoal.

I commend the North Central Arkansas Artist League on another successful exhibit, and I encourage all to spend an evening in Clinton, admiring the work of our local artists.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the volunteers of the Pulaski County Special School District who have devoted nearly 18,000 hours to Pulaski County students during the 2021-2022 school year.

Several individual volunteers earned awards for extraordinary commitment of their time.

Recognized volunteers include Ms. Charnelle Joslin of Cato Elementary; Mr. Demone Gillette of Joe T. Robinson Middle School; and Ms. Amber Henson of Joe T.

Robinson High School. Together, these 3 volunteers dedicated over 850 hours to the needs of students within the district.

Additionally, Joe T. Robinson Elementary, Joe T. Robinson Middle School, and Maumelle High School were recognized for having the highest average volunteer hours donated per student.

These volunteers are vital to the educational success of our students and promotes better citizenship by encouraging our kids to volunteer and make an impact in their communities.

I commend the Pulaski County Special School District for their exemplary volunteer programs.

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Burlene Shepard and John Fisher who were married June 9.

At The Crossing at Riverside Health and Rehab in Searcy, Burlene was 65 and never married and John Fisher, at 66, moved into a nearby room. It didn't take long for the two to find themselves talking for hours and soon after, falling in love.

While unexpected, their relationship lit up the center and brought together residents and staff members as they created a beautiful ceremony.

Surrounded by friends and family, the couple celebrated their love as they had their wedding in the very lobby where they got to know one another.

Best wishes to them both.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the winners of the 2022 Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest.

This competition was created to assist in advancing the literacy skills of young children by way of hands-on, active learning.

The criteria for which these young authors were judged included originality, creative expression, storytelling, and integration of text and illustrations.

Ninety-three students between kindergarten and 3rd grade submitted entries for this year's competition.

Submissions were divided by grade, with 3 winners for each group.

First place winners from Arkansas Second Congressional District include Abigail Wharton of Conway and Elijah Smith of Benton.

Beginning July 6th, all students who entered the competition were given the opportunity to read their stories during a summer learning broadcast series, produced by Arkansas PBS.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest, and I commend all who submitted stories.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 2022 Conway County Family Farm of the Year, the Stobaugh Brother Family Farm.

Right off Highway 64, the Stobaugh family has been operating their family farm since the 1950s, producing soybeans, rice, and corn over 6,000 acres of land.

Known for their first-class quality of crops, the Stobaugh's continue to utilize traditional farming methods while welcoming advancements in agricultural technology. These advancements include weather stations throughout the farm, and innovative irrigation system, and computerized calculations to ensure efficiency.

Despite labor shortages and the rising inflation currently plaguing our agricultural industry, the Stobaughs continue to produce staple goods for many to enjoy at their dinner table.

Congratulations to the Stobaughs and I thank them for being part of the family farms that feed 86 percent of what feeds American families every night.

Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 8589 to prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its proposed climate rule.

Now, Madam Speaker, it is the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is not the securities and environment commission.

Last night, we had the pleasure of playing baseball. I am glad to see my colleagues up early this morning to be on the House floor. It was a great game. I was proud to see the right team won, but we are once again back on the floor talking between Republicans and Democrats, Republicans being the party for growth, opportunity, and liberty, and the House majority, the Democrats, doubling down, Madam Speaker, on dumb in the midst of inflation, runaway spending, failed energy policy, and open borders.

Today, as the winds of recession and stagflation blow, House Democrats are here to talk about higher taxes and higher crippling regulations on job creators. There is no evidence that there

is any lack of knowledge in public companies that they have an obligation under the existing securities laws to disclose material impact from anything to do with climate change, and there is zero evidence that they are unaware of climate change and are not talking about it on a regular basis with their shareholders, their boards, and their employees.

Now, the Securities and Exchange Commission has three mandates: investor protection, maintaining orderly markets, and capital formation. But rather than focus on those three missions, Gary Gensler, the chairman of the SEC, is typical of this administration: a Big Government, nanny state supervisor who is going beyond his statutory authority and delving in and trying to become, as I argue, a climate czar.

His proposal has been met with significant substantive rejection. Ninety-one advocacy groups just last week, including the Farm Bureau, community bankers in every State of the country, and the Job Creators Network wrote the Small Business Committee chairman and ranking member their opposition to this proposal, and that it should be withdrawn.

Alfredo Ortiz, the president of Job Creators Network, said:

The SEC's proposed rule would be an unnecessary and costly

burden on America's small businesses, at a time when we are

dealing with ``Bideninflation'', higher interest rates, and a

supply chain crisis.

Now, Madam Speaker, Gary Gensler, the chairman, argues that this proposal is the right thing to do. We argue it is not, that it shouldn't be implemented, and we shouldn't spend any money there to do it.

Let me tell you what Nasdaq, the National Association of Securities Dealers--the market system for the growth of our country--wrote Gary Gensler. Now, these people are not anti-climate. They are not climate deniers. They run the Nasdaq marketplace.

They wrote:

The proposal creates additional disclosure obligations

outside of existing frameworks. The proposed timeline for

reporting is unreasonable. Prescriptive disclosures are too

costly.

The Commission itself says this will triple the cost to be a public company.

Huh? Triple the cost to be a public company?

We don't have enough public companies as there are.

The materiality standards deviate from the law. The

prescriptive disclosures do not facilitate meaningful

comparisons. The prescriptive disclosures create

disincentives for companies. And they say that scope 3

greenhouse gas emissions disclosure requirements could harm

small private suppliers. Finally, they say that the

proposal's timing and scope could harm the initial public

offering market.

This is an economy that has half the public companies we had in 1980, and this administration and their SEC want to make that even worse and more costly.

Let me remind you, the Commission itself tripled the cost to be a public company.

Madam Speaker, we have people who are private companies now because they cannot afford to be public. And if we don't have public companies, then we don't have investments in labor union pension plans, we don't have opportunities for investment in our 401(k) plans, we hurt this economy, and we hurt job creators if this proposal is implemented.

So it is very easy for me to stand here and argue against it.

Finally, I would say that this is part of a longstanding practice of this administration to use every tool they have in the regulatory space to do something that is the prerogative, as my good friend from Pennsylvania said, of Congress.

Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate this point. This is the responsibility of Congress if we are going to set environment and energy regulatory policy. It is not the purpose of our independent regulatory commissions.

Aren't we clear now that the Supreme Court agrees with that position?

Just in the last few days they ruled in a case called West Virginia v. EPA which basically says: hey, independent regulatory agencies, stay in your lane. Stay in your lane. Listen to what Congress has written in the statute. And Congress has not written this in a statute, which is why the SEC is way out of line with this proposal, while the Nasdaq market system rejects it, while small businesses reject it, while public company CEOs reject it, and why the Farm Bureau rejects it.

As I say, this administration came to power with an idea that this was their number one issue, and you can tell it because the people who worked on the task force to propose this rule are the Chief of Staff at the Treasury Department, the head of the National Economic Council, and the White House staff. All came to Congress with an idea to propose this rule.

So I urge my colleagues to support Republicans' efforts to not see this rule implemented and to not fund it. I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, listening to the other side, and listening to my friend from Pennsylvania, I hear a lot about uncertainty; that we are not sure what we are here for; we are not sure what we are going to bring up on the House floor.

Well, I will tell you what: We are certain that inflation is hurting American families. We are certain that people don't know how to fill up their car; what that is going to cost; what they are going to sacrifice; moving from beef to chicken; working on prescriptions this week, maybe gas next week. So we are certain the American people have inflation, top concern.

This bill proposed today will help attack inflation by reducing the costs that will be imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in this act.

And I will read, Madam Speaker, from the Task Force on Climate- Related Financial Disclosures, the Bloomberg Commission, and it says: All these efforts must be cost-effective, reliable. They must be comparable across countries, across industries, within industries. And the proposal of SEC does not do that.

So I hope that we will be successful in H.R. 8589, which will save the government money. And if we are looking for bills to bring up, I say to my friend from Pennsylvania, I recommend H.R. 7209, which is the Price Stability Act, which will focus the Federal Reserve solely on fighting inflation; not fighting climate change; not fighting socioeconomic disparities, focused on inflation because inflation is a thief. That is what we should be on this floor debating.

Madam Speaker, I really don't understand this debate, talking about the PACT Act, my friend from Massachusetts. That has passed the House. Let the Senate do its work.

We supported it here. Let's be serious here. I voted for the bill. The Senate is working out some concern they had. They changed the bill. They made the bill that is controversial over there. Let them figure it out.

In the Senate, they don't even know that revenue bills originate in the House. It was blue-slipped. They don't really know what they are doing over in the upper Chamber.

We know we have the advantage over them on that, but what we are talking about today are bills being considered today. The Speaker is leaving on some foreign trip tonight, so we are rushing around. We don't know why we are here today, and the people deserve to know in advance what we are voting on so we can prepare our arguments.

So, it is not about some bill over in the Senate. It is about what bills will be on the floor of the House today.